2017 MLB Awards

Raise your hands if you expected the Arizona Diamondbacks to be a playoff team at the start of the year. Last season the Diamondbacks were one of the worst teams in the National League at 69-93 with a poor pitching staff that had a franchise-worst 5.09 ERA. This year was a complete reversal as Arizona got the top Wild Card spot in the National League at 93-69, with the best ERA in team history at 3.67 as they focused on improving the defense while playing a smart aggressive baseball on the bases for that Lovullo should be given at least some of the credit.

It appeared that the best days were behind Ryan Zimmerman before the season began. The last of the first year Nationals, still active with the team, he had not played more than 120 games in a season since 2013. Worse still he was coming off a season in which he batted .218 and had just 15 home runs and 46 RBI. This season Zimmerman showed in April he was back with the best month of his career which helped him become an All-Star for the second time as he had perhaps his best season with .304 average, 36 homers, and 108 RBI.

Called up at the end of April when Adrian Gonzalez was lost with a back injury, Cody Bellinger took Los Angeles by storm. Within two months, Bellinger was the top hitter in the Dodgers’ lineup, becoming the quickest rookie to reach 20 home runs in his career in baseball history. In June he became the first rookie to hit ten home runs in a ten-game span, a stretch that included a cycle. Bellinger ended the season with a .267 average, 39 home runs and 97 RBI as the Dodgers were the best team in baseball at 104-58.

There is no denying that Kenley Jansen is the best reliever in the National League as he should run away with the award for the top closer in the senior circuit for the second straight season. Jansen led the National League with 41 saves and had just one blown save while posting a record of 5-0 and an ERA of 1.32. A hard-throwing reliever with incredible control, Jansen struck out batters in 68.1 innings, while allowing only seven walks and incredible 15.57 strikeout to walk ratio.

Staying healthy has always been the one thing that has been key to Giancarlo Stanton’s success. When he is 100% there is no doubt he is the top slugger in all of baseball. Playing 150 games for just the second time in his career, Stanton flirted with Babe Ruth and Roger Maris, finishing the season with 59 home runs and 132 both of which were the best in the Major League Baseball in 2017, all while playing for a Marlins team that did not provide much support around him.

Once again, Clayton Kershaw was one of the top pitchers in baseball, posting a record of 18-4, despite missing more than a month with a back injury. The 18 wins were tied for most in the majors, while his 2.31 ERA was best in the National League. Kershaw also finished with 202 strikeouts as he continued to prove why he is the best pitcher in all of the baseball. Once again Clayton Kershaw’s key to success was keeping men off base, as his 0.95 WHIP ranked second behind Max Scherzer, which all adds up to a fourth Cy Young for the Dodgers ace.

The MVP race in the National League might be the closest in the history of the award. A case could be made for as many as six players. The best stats are held by Giancarlo Stanton, but the Marlins faded in September. The second biggest season belong to Nolan Arenado, who finished with 132 RBI and was the driving force for the Rockies making the postseason for the first time in nine years. Arenado also finished second with 37 home runs, while posting a .959 OPS.

In 2016, the Minnesota Twins had one of the worst seasons in team history as they posted a record of 59-103. Most experts expected a duplicate this year as there was little reason to believe the Twins could rebound off such a poor season. However, what went wrong last year went right in 2017, as the Twins became the first team to make the playoffs in MLB history a year after losing 100 games. A big factor in the Twins 85-77 record to get the second Wild Card spot was the growth of some talented prospects who benefited from the steady hand of Molitor at the helm.

CC Sabathia had a great career, a one-time Cy Young winner, he was the ace of the Yankees staff the last time the went to the World Series in 2009. When his career is over he will get at least some Hall of Fame consideration, most thought that end was coming soon as he had struggled with alcholism and had three straight losing seasons. However, at times in 2017 it was the old CC Sabathia on the mound as his 14 wins almost match the last three years combined.

With the retirement of Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez in the last few seasons, the New York Yankees were a team without a true superstar at the beginning of the season. That quickly changed as Aaron Judge part of a core of talented young hitters emerged as the new face of the Yankees franchise. With mammoth home runs, a body that towered over his teammates, Judge’s #99 jersey quickly became the hottest seller as he became the first rookie in the history of baseball to hit 50 home runs, finishing the year with 52.

Craig Kimbrel may not have led the American League in saves, ending the year with 35, but he clearly was the most consistent closer all season. Kimbrel, besides recording 35 saves, posted a perfect 5-0 record, while allowing blowing four saves. The Boston bullpen was a big factor in the Red Sox winning a second straight Eastern Division Championship as they were 15-2 in extra-inning games, playing several long marathons. Kimbrel finished the year with a 1.43 ERA and had 126 strikeouts to 14 walks.

Just how good was Aaron Judge’s rookie season with the Yankees? His 52 home runs were the most ever by a rookie, but there are even bigger stories behind the headline-stealing moon shots. His 33 home runs at home were the most ever for a Yankee breaking a record held by Babe Ruth. In addition to 52 longballs which led the American League, Judge rose to the occasion as his 114 RBI ranked second while leading the league with 128 runs scored and 127 walks. One can argue it is among the best rookie seasons of all-time.

As the Cleveland Indians embarked on a historic 22-game winning streak, pitching was the big factor. On most nights during the streak the Tribe allowed two or less runs, getting dominant starts by the best rotation in baseball, which included two of the four pitchers that won 18 games which most in the majors 2017. The best of the stafff was Corey Kluber, who posted a record of 18-4, while his 2.25 ERA was the best in the majors. In addition his 265 strikeouts ranked second in the American League as 0.87 WHIP was also best in majors.

For just the third time in baseball history, a rookie should win the MVP award. The closest competition to Aaron Judge is the Houston Astros mighty might spark plug Jose Altuve, who posted the best batting average in the majors at .346, helping the Astros win 101 games. However, Judge is more than head above in the MVP race, as his OPS was second best at 1.049, this is while leading the American League in runs (128), walks (127) and home runs (52). Additionally, his 15 homers in September were a key the Yankees getting back to the postseason.